Page 91 of April

“I thought nothing was going on there,” Linden said.

“There isn’t. She might be a friend. I told you that, Linden.”

“I know. I just didn’t expect her to text you, honestly. She’s a celebrity. I’ve never had a celebrity friend or had a friend who had a celebrity friend.”

“Well, neither have I,” Asher replied.

“I should let you go, then,” Linden said.

“I can wait.”

“Wait? Why?”

“If you want to give your date another ten minutes.” Asher leaned back in her chair. “I can wait. I’ll text Stephania and tell her. You can come with us, if you want. She wanted to go to a jazz bar. You know the good ones. Maybe you can recommend a place.”

“Her real name is Stephanie. You know that, right?”

“What?”

“Stephania is her famous person name, but her name is Stephanie Galetti. I looked it up.”

“Okay. Well, that’s a fun fact that I can tell her I know later,” she said. “Would you like to meet her? Come out with us for a drink? I don’t plan on staying out long. I have some–” Asher stopped this time.

She didn’t want to bring up Dallas because she knew it would change their conversation. She was proven right immediately when Linden’s face tightened, even though Asher hadn’t even finished her sentence, which could’ve been about anything.

“Packing to do? You have packing to do, right?”

“No, I’m not packing yet. I just have to make the plan to go find an apartment. I’d still like you to come with me.”

“I don’t know, Asher,” Linden replied. “It’s a lot.”

“Coming to Dallas for the weekend to help me find a good apartment is a lot?”

“Seeing you settle into a new life in a different city is a lot,” Linden rebuffed.

“I won’t be there forever. I’ve been thinking about it today: maybe two to three years.”

“And then, you just come back?”

“Yes. It’ll give me experience,” she said, telling Linden a half-truth. “When I want, I can quit and come back here to start my own company.”

“Why do you have to move at all, then, Ash?” Linden leaned over the table. “Just stay here. Ask Carolyn for more responsibility.”

“The promotion means a lot more money that I can save for the business I want. I’d be able to start it faster.”

“But you’d be gone.”

Linden’s voice sounded so small and far away, but it tore through Asher as if she’d just screamed those words at her.

“I’ll never be gone from you, Linden.”

Asher’s phone dinged, but she didn’t want to ruin the moment, so she left it in her purse.

“Just get it. It might be your date.”

“I doubt it. It’s probably Stephania asking if we’re going for that drink. Just let me tell her that I’m hanging out with you instead. We need to keep talking, Linden.” Asher reached down into her purse, pulled out her phone, and saw Bryce’s name on the screen. “Oh. It’s Bryce. Finally.”

“I should find out what happened with my own date from Melinda.”

---